And so it begins...

There's no turning back, we have officially entered the school years. Rachel had her first day of preschool today and she loved it. She goes Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30-2:00. She goes to school with two other friends from church, Peyton and Mason. It was Peyton's birthday today and she was so excited about being able to celebrate his birthday at school. She came home and told me she held Peyton's hand ALL day long. I doubt she actually did... :)

Rachel came home telling me all kinds of things about school. She named quite a few new friends. They went to P.E. today and she said the funniest thing about the day was when the P.E. teacher told them they couldn't climb in the trash can. I guess they've had problems with this in the past??? Rachel also informed me that they have a "petite" toilet to use at school... Just so you know, she prefers to be referred to as petite rather than small, because she is a big girl! And I guess it's polite to refer to the toilet as petite as well...

When I walked Rachel in this morning she just marched right into the classroom and didn't even turn back to say good-bye. I was so glad she was so happy and ready to go! I was one of those little girls who absolutely LOVED school. I hope Rachel is able to gain and keep that same love. So far so good, she was quite disappointed this afternoon when I told her there's no school tomorrow.

Here are a few pictures of Rachel:

I enjoyed running some errands with only one little one today. Audrey was a bit upset that Rachel was not with us today. She cried in the car for awhile, but once we went to the mall play place, she was just fine. After running errands we were headed home and she kept on saying "Rachel, come here". She'll adjust! Audrey did enjoy some one-on-one time with me today as well. We are so excited for Rachel and what this school year has to bring. Rachel and I did the math last night, and she only has about 18 years of school ahead of her... :)

P.S. If you haven't noticed, Rachel is going through a phase right now of smiling without showing her teeth. I need to discuss this habit with her Uncle Steve...

Monkey See, Monkey Do

A Fun Day

Yesterday was a day full of fun. We went with a bunch of friends to the Children's Museum in the morning. I forgot to take the camera into the museum, but the girls enjoyed the few hours we spent there. It was so nice to go on a weekday and the first week of school - no school groups. Some of the girls favorites are the grocery store, cafe, pet clinic, ambulance, and water works. We were also able to check out some baby chicks, which the girls loved. Maybe once the weather gets cooler, we'll head to the zoo.

Well we were at the museum Audrey was playing next to a little girl who could have been her twin. They looked so cute playing next to each other. The other mom noticed me watching Audrey and asked about her. We soon discovered that they share the same exact birthday. :)It's not very often that we run into a toddler the same size and age as Audrey (usually they're much bigger). So, it was fun to see someone else with a teeny, healthy toddler. I wish I had had my camera to take a picture of the two. It was quite unbelievable.

Anyhow, after a morning at the museum we drove a few more miles and met Andy for lunch. The girls loved having lunch with their daddy. I don't know if it was the anticipation of going to the outdoor water fountains or not having a morning snack, but Rachel ate the best I've seen her eat for lunch in a long time! After lunch Rachel really wanted to go up to Andy's office. Well, he doesn't exactly have an office here like he did in Amsterdam, so we just walked through Andy's building. We then headed over to the outdoor fountain. There was a similar one at the shopping center we always shopped at in Holland, but I never thought it was ever warm enough to enjoy. Well, the girls certainly enjoyed the downtown Houston one. It was a perfect day to go since all the big kids are back in school. Andy says it's usually pretty crowded.

Within 2 minutes Audrey was drenched! Rachel wasn't too sure about getting her clothes wet (even though I had a spare outfit for in the car - next time we'll have to take swimsuits). After about 20 minutes Rachel really got into it...

Just getting her hand wet... Now she's into it!

Audrey came out to visit us on the sidewalk at one point and quickly complained of her feet being hot. So, Andy told her to go back in the water to cool them off. And that's exactly what she did - too funny!
No fear!

The girls had fun running through, jumping over, and crawling under the water. We probably could have stayed a lot longer, but Andy and I were getting hot and it was well into nap time. So, between the two of us, we were able to peel the girls away from the fountains. Audrey slept the 30-minute drive home, so I thought naps were out for the day. Well, the girls surprised. They both slept for 2 hours once we got home. So, good naps for everyone.

After nap time we made homemade chocolate-chip cookies. Something I haven't done in years. Rachel loves helping out and Audrey just does her own little thing. It was fun to bake with the girls - something I should probably do more often. So, we definitely had a fun-filled day on Tuesday!

For the grandparents viewing pleasure, a short video:

Best Buds

I have so much fun watching our girls love each other. Don't get me wrong, they definitely have their moments of not getting along. But overall they are very sweet to each other. They have become pretty good playmates the past couple of months. One thing they currently love to do is play in their daddy's closet. It's the only closet in the house that has sliding doors and they love it! Both of them can open and close and it's like it's their little playhouse. Some days (if I wanted to, but who really would) I could probably spend hours getting myself ready and they would just have a ball playing in his closet. Here are a few snapshots of the girls just being cute together...

Reading books at our hotel room in June:

Playing mommy and baby - they switch roles, but I think Rachel prefers to be the mom. It confuses me, when they are calling each other "mommy"... Bubble time in the jetted tub - Audrey loves to lay down in the bath!

Adjusting

Many have asked how we are adjusting after moving back to Texas. Overall, we are doing just fine. The first few weeks back were rather stressful with lots of decisions to make. But it has been so nice to come back to familiar territory. Our friends have just picked up right where we left off and it has been so nice. The girls and I are definitely busy during the week with playdates and other activities. It's been nice to get back to the gym and workout. The girls really enjoy the kidzone at the gym as well. And even though Rachel seems to be quite the popular little girl around here (new kid on the block), she would go back to Amsterdam in a heartbeat. She's not miserable, but she does miss a few friends and talks about them all the time! Just this morning she was asking to head over to a friend's house in Amsterdam.

I am definitely enjoying have a vehicle at my disposal 24/7. Although I do miss the days when I could strap the girls in the stroller, head off to the shopping center, and accomplish several errands. The other day I went to 4 different places, so 4 times I had to take the girls in and out of their car seats. I realized that if I had been in Amsterdam all 4 of the places I went would have been at the shopping center and it would have been so easy. But not here. There's no way I could have walked between the 4 different places. Such is life though! Rachel has finally mastered strapping herself in her car seat, so that helps. She just needs help getting out.

I have also realized that there are little American habits that really bug me. Not to say everyone does this, but talking on the cell phone while driving without a hands-free device really bothers me. It was against the law in Holland and I wish it were here. The other day I almost got clobbered by someone yakking on their cell phone. Also, texting while driving, it's insane and people do it over here like crazy! Who knows, maybe it's the same over in Holland but I didn't seem to notice it as much. I guess because I rarely drove around in Holland... Anyhow, I have also discovered that I am really impatient when someone decides to write out a check. Seriously, it takes so long and when you have 2 little ones with you, come on! We are definitely fans of the European banking system - checks are not an option! :)

We also miss some of foods we enjoyed in the Netherlands. One random thing, is actually peanut butter. Skippy and Jif are just too sugared up for us. If anyone has any suggestions out there, we'd love them! And of course the chocolate... Although I have discovered Milka chocolate is sold at Target. So, last week, which was the first time since being back, I was desperate and splurged. But after hunting through a department store for 15 minutes looking for my car keys that my toddler has misplaced, I figured I deserved some chocolate. Although, the toddler was the one who actually found them....

We are enjoying several things. Just to name a few... I smile every time I run my disposal; do a large load of laundry (wash and dry) in 80 minutes or less; the baggers bag my groceries (although I do take my own bags); enjoy the nice, warm outdoor pool (as a matter of fact, it was a bit too warm one day); walk over padded carpet barefoot; sit down to play the piano; tell the girls to put all their toys in the playroom; go to the "English" library; lay and actually stretch out on our comfy couches; get a babysitter and go out for the night; drive 3 minutes to church; etc...

Life is good. We feel blessed to have the opportunity we have had. Andy and I were talking the other day about if we think we could go back. And we could. We would change a few things, but we could go back... It's not going to happen though and we are happy in Texas. One thing we did learn, is to enjoy the time you are living wherever you are. If there ever is a next time, I think we would be better about learning the language.

So, to all my Holland friends, live it up! And to all my friends in Texas, thank you for such a warm welcome home! :)

Beach Day

Last Saturday we decided to head down to Galveston. We had forgotten how long it takes to drive down there. And luckily we didn't have any traffic! We miss the quick 30-minute drive to the beach we had in Holland. But we don't miss the freezing cold water... The girls were so excited to be able to play in warm water - pretty much like bath water. Unfortunately about 5 minutes into playing in the water Rachel was stung by a jelly fish. She was standing next to me and all of sudden just started screaming and holding her leg. At first I thought she was stung by a jelly fish, but then we couldn't find anything on her leg. Then we figured maybe the salt water was just bothering her eczema. It took Rachel about 30 minutes or so to get back into the water. Once we were heading home, our suspicions were confirmed. Rachel definitely was stung by a jelly fish. It's pretty common in Galveston, but still no fun. Anyhow, on to our beach day.

Audrey and I spent a lot of time in the water while Andy tried to coax Rachel back into the water:

First mouthful of saltwater - not a huge fan!

Want some (a spoonful of sand)? Rachel getting somewhat closer to the water and building a sandcastle:

I don't know what finally got her back in, but here she is trying to catch fish with her daddy. Of course they never caught any fish - they were just too fast! But they did catch some crabs and a jelly fish (which was rightfully buried alive).

The girls had so much fun making pancakes, meatballs, and apples with their daddy. A few sandcastles were built. Rachel was quite impressed with a man on the beach who was sculpting a turtle out of the sand. It was impressive! I went with Rachel to check it out and I told him how Rachel wanted her daddy to make her one, but he wasn't as talented. Well, as we were walking away Rachel whispered to me, "Can he be my daddy?". Too funny! The girls also enjoyed jumping over and racing the waves. Here's Rachel racing a wave and I'm pretty sure she won:

Racing the waves:

The last 20 minutes we were there Andy decided to take his shirt off. And he figured he'd be safe for only 20 minutes. Wrong... His shoulders and back are a nice bright pink! The girls and I have been working on our tans all summer, but Andy hasn't had that luxury. These girls sure do love their daddy:

And just in case you haven't gotten enough of Audrey's cheesy smile, here's another one:

We are definitely going to go to the beach more often. The girls had a blast (despite the first 5 minutes) and it's such an easy, cheap thing to do! We went early enough that we were able to park right along the seawall and have easy access to the beach. If we are going to make a habit of going to the beach, we do need to purchase some beach chairs and a better umbrella. I figure hopefully I can catch some sales this fall and we'll be set for next summer. And hey, we can probably still go and enjoy the beach here through October, if not longer... :)

Quite the Snuggler

I just put Audrey down for a nap and it was one of those times when I wish I had a built-in video camera. She's gotten some quirky habits recently. And one of her latest is when I put her down for a nap. I lay her down in her crib, she pops right up, gathers up all the stuffed animals in her crib (probably about 7 right now), and makes a huge pile. Then she snuggles right on top of the huge pile. Of course she quickly discovers it isn't all that comfortable. So, while I continue to sing she rolls over on her side and selects one of the many to snuggle with for the duration of her nap. So fun to watch! Andy did snap a picture of Audrey last week right after she woke up. That particular afternoon she insisted on keeping her snuggle buddies with her. So, here she is with her panda, baby doll (behind bunny), and bunny:

Little One

For some reason ever since we've moved back to Texas Audrey loses it when I jump into the shower. So, the other day I squirted a little bit of shaving cream on her arms and legs and she had a ball. It was the first time in awhile that she hasn't cried while I'm showering. And she did make a mess, but boy was she happy!

As a side note, Audrey is obsessed with saying "little one". It's so cute to hear her say it. Anything small is given the label "little one". And every night before she goes to bed she has to kiss the smallest doll Rachel has - the "little one". Another side note... The other night Andy was bathing the girls. He asked Audrey if she was ready to get out and she replied, "In a minute". Smart girl! So, what did he do? He let the girls play a few minutes more... It's so much fun to watch her speech develop. Who knows what she'll be saying tomorrow!

Bookworm

Rachel is loving the "English library". Every week she has so much fun picking out new books to take home. She has always enjoyed being read to and she is now getting very anxious about learning how to read herself. So, when I caught her one afternoon reading (well, looking at pictures and telling the story how she remembers it) on her bed, I had to snap a picture. I hope she always has a love for reading! Any time I suggest reading books, Rachel jumps at the opportunity. And if I didn't limit our book reading to 2 books at night, we might never get any sleep! :)

Water Fun

With temperatures reaching 100 degrees (probably felt like 108 with humidity) we had to stay cool somehow this past weekend. So, on Saturday we finally made it to the pool as a family. The girls had so much fun with their dad. Andy and I were able to get the girls more into the slide at the pool. It helped that I hung out at the top and Andy hung out at the bottom to catch. Here's Audrey, the old pro now:

The girls and I went to the pool today and Audrey did just fine going up and down by herself, so I just stayed at the bottom to catch. She does have a new routine though. She has to play with the water jets before turning around and getting on her tummy. So cute!

When we got home from the pool on Saturday Andy decided it was a perfect time to fix a sprinkler. So, while Audrey and I put ourselves back together, Rachel and her daddy fixed a sprinkler. And after some hard work, there needs to be a little bit of play:

Rachel had fun running through the sprinklers with her dad. Audrey was a bit bummed that she wasn't allowed since she was all cleaned up. Next time Audrey...